2 Timothy 2:24

And the servant of the Lord The conjunction here is exactly parallel in its force to -and follow after" in 2 Timothy 2:22. -The servant," not -a servant," the emphatic position of -servant" at the beginning is best rendered by the definite article. -Servant," that is, -bondservant" or -slave," the title by which St Paul frequently describes himself as -a minister of Christ." Cf. Titus 1:1.

gentle The word only occurs in N.T. here and 1 Thessalonians 2:7, denoting -an outward mildness and gentleness, especially in bearing with others," Ellicott; who connects it with one of the Greek roots for -speak," so that it would have originally meant -kind of speech."

apt to teach See 1 Timothy 3:2.

patient A compound adjective more exactly -patient of wrong," and so better forbearing. The first part of the word is the same as -tolerable" in Luke 10:14.